Stage set for Olcott Memorial cricket tourney

From left – Ananda College First XI captain Kithma Withanapathirana, Principal Ananda College DMLP Dissanayake, Ananda College OBA Executive President Samitha Seneviratne, President of the Col. Henry Steel Olcott Memorial Sports Foundation Bimal Wijayasinghe and Ananda College OBA Vice President Mahesh Ratnayake at the launch

Ananda College will host the 24th edition of the annual Colonel Henry Steel Olcott Memorial cricket tournament at its Colonel GW Rajapakse Stadium on January 23, 24 and 25 with the participation of teams from ten leading Buddhist schools in the country and its old boys. 

The tournament was inaugurated in 1996 on an initiative of Sri Lanka’s first Test captain the late Bandula Warnapura and since then it has become the flagship annual event of the Col. Henry Steel Olcott Sports Foundation.  

Addressing a special press briefing held at Ananda College this week, president of the Col. Henry Steel Olcott Foundation Bimal Wijayasinghe said the event marks the foundation’s main annual cricket tournament.

“Olcott Sports Foundation is fostering school sports by conducting cricket, athletics and badminton events while helping inculcate Buddhist values in the school fraternity by conducting workshops, debates and many activities,” said Wijayasinghe. 

This year’s tournament will feature ten leading Buddhist schools in the country, Ananda College – Colombo, Nalanda College – Colombo, Dharmaraja College – Kandy, Maliyadeva College – Kurunegala, Mahinda College – Galle, Dharmasoka College – Ambalangoda, Rahula College – Matara, Dharmapala College – Pannipitiya, Vijaya College – Matale and Sri Rahula College – Katugastota. 

As a tradition, hosting of the event is rotating annually among the participating schools and Maliyadeva College hosted last year’s tournament in Kurunegala. Anada College and Maliyadeva College emerged joint champions in last year’s tournament while Rahula College – Matara won the Old Boys’ tournament. Ananda College last hosted the event in 2018 at the NCC ground. 

This year’s six-a-side school tournament will be played on January 23 commencing at 9.00 am as a five-over per side league. There will be an exhibition match between the newcomers Vijaya College – Matale and Sri Rahula College – Katugastota. 

Speaking to the media, Technical Committee head of the Col. Henry Steel Olcott Sports Foundation Upul Sumathipala said that the school tournament will have 16 matches and it will be a challenging task to complete it in one day. The initial stage of the school tournament will be worked off in two groups followed by the finals and the awards ceremony on the same day. 

The Old Boys’ tournament will be an eight-over-a-side tournament and will be played on the 24th and 25th followed by the awards ceremony. Apart from the Col. Henry Steel Olcott Memorial trophy for the winners, special awards for Best Batsman, Best Bowler and Man of the Tournament will be on offer in both tournaments. 

Ananda College OBA Executive president Samitha Seneviratne thanked this year’s array of sponsors and said that without their support an event of this magnitude will not be possible.

Ananda College principal DMLP Dissanayake and Ananda College OBA vice president Mahesh Ratnayake also graced the occasion. 

Ananda College Sports Foundation president the retired Gen. Kamal Gunaratne, Ananda College 2001 cricket captain and SSC cricket coach Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, OBA members, representatives of sponsors and present school team members of participating schools were also present on the occasion. (KKK)